“Gripping stage version”
“Extraordinary depth of talent”
His Dark Materials Parts 1 and 2 is a brilliant adaptation by Nicholas Wright of Philip Pullman’s best-selling trilogy: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The plays were first performed at The National Theatre in 2004. Essentially a love story, His Dark Materials revolves around Lyra and Will, two young teenagers from different worlds. The pair join forces and share adventures beyond their wildest imaginings as Lyra strives to find her best friend Roger and Will searches for his lost father.
As their friendship deepens, the teenagers are drawn into a cosmic battle between good and evil, encountering armoured bears, soul-eating Spectres, witches from Northern Lands and terrifying Harpies in The Land of the Dead before they face their human foes in a final, breath-taking battle.
This is Next Stage Youth’s most ambitious production yet. The adult company was one of the first non-professional groups in the country to stage this epic story in 2007, performing both in Bath and at the world-renowned Minack Theatre in Cornwall. Five years on, Next Stage’s talented youth company of sixty 11-18 year olds is proud to stage a revival of the production. Parts 1 and 2 of His Dark Materials each runs for a week with the 6 performances staged by separate casts of 30 youngsters per show.
This is an epic journey for actors and audiences alike. Stunning costumes and masks, an original musical score, special effects and lighting designed for the fast-moving and complex plot make this a theatrical event not to be missed.
Cast:
Rehearsal Photographs:
